Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 1991)
MNM * ! S S I ~ OF 'J Huge crowd honors Drs. Berretta W E T Z F I. L OR F N £ V SPACER y ’J Z :: *: : on Heppner doctors, Jeanne and Ed Berretta, were honored with an overflow crowd at the Doctors’ Ap preciation dinner held Saturday, June 22 at the Elks Club. One hundred seventy-eight people, including mystery guest Mary Mobley, the Berretta's friend and former nanny, from North Carolina and Jeanne’s brother Paul Smith from Condon, were on hand to toast the Berrettas for their service to the commnity. Besides those attending, letters l i o 9 7 t n •» were received from Salvatore Ber retta, E d’s dad from North Carolina, Fred Berretta, Ed’s brother from San Diego, Kathy DeSimone, Ed’s sister from New York, two of Jeanne’s teachers at her hometown of Condon, Mrs. Furnish and Mrs. Parish; Fr. Ron Maag, friend of the family from The Dalles and Dr. Joseph Diehl, Pendleton. Following the dinner the Berret tas’ long-time friend Mary Mobley said “ I was kind of hoping they'd release them (the Berrettas) to come back (to North Carolina), but I have my doubts now ." Ernest Wick, Pioneer Memorial Hospital administrator commented, “ I think it was a fantastic outpour ing of love, compassion and caring and a welcome indication of support for the physicians in Morrow Coun ty ” The Doctors’ Appreciation Day was sponsored by the Heppner Chamber of Commerce and Sorop- timist International of Heppner. Surprise visitor attends dinner 35C VOL. 110 NO. 26 azette imes 6 Pages Wednesday, June 26, 1991 Morrow County Heppner, Oregoil North end favors hospital closure Reprinted from the Boardman Valley Chronicle, Volume 2, Number 25, June 24, 1991 Financing Health Care in Morrow County raised more concerns at a Health Care Goal Setting Session at Riverside High School Thursday evening (June 20) than the quality and quantity of that care The number one goal of the 77 people attending was to more equitably distribute expenditure of tax revenues administered by the Medical Board throughout the coun ty. The total budget for the county health care for 1991-92 is S4.592.702 of which only $210,020 (4.6%) is budgeted for the Board- man Clinic and the Boardman am bulance service (including early response capability in Irrigon.) Some rather dramatic changes have occurred in just the past two years. The total medical budget has grown 68.8% from $2,719.768 in 1989-90 when the amount budgeted for the Boardman Clinic and Board- man A m bulance service was $221,837 for 8.1 % of the total. The Boardman Clinic and Ambulance portion of the budget has declined in those two years by 5.6% while the tax levy, $392,857 in 1989-90 has grown by 20.8% to the 91-92 level. Most of the medical fund is financ ed by patient fees at Pioneer Memorial Hospital and its included nursing home. The second priority agreed upon Thursday was to close that hospital and to replace it with transportation capability for seniors and acute care patients to hospitals in Hermiston or Pendleton. This goal was based in large measure upon the inordinate high cost of maintaining Pioneer Memorial compared with its lack of ability to care for patients requiring hospital treatment. The third highest priority was to develop a 24 hour per day, seven days per week, clinic for the Board- man and Irrigon communities that would have emergency technicians and a physician's assistant on site at all times. Related, but separately stated was a goal of having bilingual (Spanish) personnel available at the Boardman Clinic at all times. Finally, the group listed no further increase in the tax levy supporting Health Care in Morrow County as its goal. Pam Sagely, Morrow County Health Care Encourager, said she was pleased with the attendance at the m eeting, noting that it represented a broad cross section of the Boardman and Irrigon com munities. Some 22 other goals were mentioned by at least one of the eight small groups that studied the issues. The five selected were the result of voting by all attendees. Sagely said these goals will be for warded to a Medical Council for research and development of means of implementation. Eventually they will appear in a Plan for guidance to the Medical Board and the County Court. A second meeting in Heppner is scheduled for this coming Thursday evening and given the nature of these goals, that meeting might be well attended. Important health care meeting Thursday at fairgrounds An important meeting about health care in Morrow County will be held this Thursday night, 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds pavilion in Heppner. The Morrow County Health Care Council will hear citizens opinions on what they like about county health care; what they disliked and what changes should be made. A similar meeting was held last Thursday in Boardman and the se cond priority of that group was to close Pioneer Memorial Hospital (see reprinted story this page). Opinions gathered at these public meetings will be used to formulate a report to the county medical board on the direction health care should take in Morrow County. Boardman residents came up with 35 goals at their meeting, the follow ing five, in order of priority, were released to the press: After a federal survey is made, said Wick, a facility has 60 days in which to put together a plan to cor rect the inadequacies cited by the survey or decide not to comply with the recommendations and begin the process of closing the facility. PMH Nursing home had a deadline of June 21 to implement the changes, he said. “ The majority of everything was done by mid-May,” said Wick. “ Not one issue that faulted us was in patient care,” he added. “ A lot of work was involved. In some areas we thought we were in compliance. The first survey under the new guidelines was more in the nature of education and training.” In the process of complying with the federal guidelines Wick said that several bathroom doors were widen ed, a new tub with a lift was install ed, new curtains were installed in rooms, either a bed light or a room light was installed so that each pa tient had access to both in their roooms, and a larger screen televi sion was installed in the solarium. Wick said that while not required by federal regulations PMH is in the process of putting in another nurs ing station nearer the nursing home section to better monitor the nursing home residents. “ We're using the survey as a starting point,” Wick said. He said he is hoping that an in crease in nursing home residents' charges, an increase in state reim Pool plagued by cloudy water The Heppner city pool has had to be drained and filled several times since its opening day June 16. The pool has been plagued with the same problem as last year-cloudy water- because of an ineffective filter system. City recorder Renee Devin says that after about three days the water becomes so cloudy that it must be completely drained and refilled, which takes about 24 hours. New filters are expected to be shipped on Friday, June 28, but in the meantime, Devin asks that swim mers please wear a clean swim suit to the pool and to shower before entering the water. New water heaters have been installed at the pool, so showers are warm, Devin added. 1. ) Health care dollars should be spent equally throughout the county. 2 . ) Close Pioneer Memorial Hospital and develop transportation for senior citizens and acute care. 3. ) Open a 24 hour clinic, with full tim e param edics, physcian assistants, locally administered for Boardman and Irrigon. 4 . ) Have Bilingual personnel in medical services at all times. 5. ) No increase in health care tax dollars. Members of the health care coun cil which will formulate the final report to the medical board include the following people: Dick Allen. Judy Brown, Stan Hoobing, Grace Drake, Cheryl Tallman. Meg Mur ray, Roger Scharen, Carleana Britt, Chris Garc ia. Jack Strege, Donna Morrow County voters okayed a Moeller, Ray Michael. Ann Murray, school operating levy Tuesday, but Dave Zachry.and Diane Kilkenny. not by much. Voters passed the school budget 995 yes to 993 no, a margin of only wo votes. Morrow County Clerk Barbara Bloodsworth said the slim margin means there will be an automatic re count as prescribed by Oregon law. Bloodsworth also reported a 51 percentage voter turnout bursement, more efficient staff and Following is a precinct by precinct more effective operations will "fill that void” created by $152,000 in breakdown of the county voting: Yes No required remodeling and staffing 80 69 Boardman - 01 expenditures. 148 127 Boardman - 02 Potluck to honor 9 9 Hardman - 03 84 155 lone - 04 Wilsons retiring 105 163 Irrigon - 05 A farewell potluck will be held for 77 108 Irrigon - 06 Darrel and Bev Wilson Saturday, 89 94 Lexington - 07 June 29 at the lone Legion Hall star 86 84 H eppner- 08 ting at 4 p.m. The Wilsons have 105 119 Heppner - 09 taught at lone High School for 24 66 63 Heppner - 10 years and retired at the end of this 70 78 Heppner - 11 school year. They plan to move to 995 993 Totals Post Falls. Idaho at the end of summer. School levy passes by two Federal regulations require $152,000 in changes at PMH nursing home New federal regulations resulted in $32,000 in remodeling costs and $120,000 in salaries for additional staff at Pioneer Memorial Hospital Nursing Home, according to Ernest Wick. PMH administrator. Wick said that guidelines in effect in October 1990 and a federal survey ofthe PMH nursing home facilities conducted in March necessitated im provements in residents' room lighting, widening bathroom doors to facilitate wheelchair access and adding four new staff positions. In addition to four new staff members- one registered nurse, two aides and one “ restorative” aide (required to restore or improve nursing home residents' capabilities), additional hours were added to parttime employees. When Dr. Jeanne Berretta receiv ed a call from family friend Mary Mobley of G reenville, North Carolina at the Doctors’ Apprecia tion dinner held June 22 at the Elks Club in Heppner Jeanne said “ I wish you were here.” And Mary obliged. Instead of call ing from her home in North Carolina Mary was calling from the other room. Unbeknownst to everyone in the Berretta family, except Gret- chen, a high school freshman who is very good at keeping a secret, Mary had been flown to Heppner to attend the dinner as a special surprise to the Berrettas. Mary began working for the Ber rettas as a nanny and housekeeper, a job that evolved into a lasting friendship, when Gretchen was six years old and Jeanne was completing her residency. Matt, now a fourth grader, was 18 months old. Mary stayed with the family until they left to come to Heppner in 1987 and by that time they had another baby, Vincent. The Berrettas have had a fourth child Nicholas, since they moved to Heppner. Mary hadn’t been able to visit the Berrettas since they came out West, "But I write,” said Mary. “ I keep in touch with my children.” Mary also took care of Jeanne’s G-T closed July 4 The Gazette-Times office will be closed Thursday, July 4 to celebrate Independence Day. Publication will remain on Wednesday, however, out of town subscribers will not receive their papers until Friday due to the holiday. The staff at the G-T wishes everyone a safe happy holiday. Mary Mobley mother, Pauline, and her father, P.C. Smith when they were ill. A clear advocate of the work ethic. Mary got married when she was 16 and began working for $18 a week at a day job. When she discovered that she could make almost twice that—$35—as a nanny, “ That's when I started taking care of babies.” Mary began working for Blanche Forbes and helped raise her three daughters, Jenny, Jane and Josie. Mary got acquainted with Mrs. Forbes, who is in the real estate business when Mary and her hus band were tenants on the Forbes’ land. “ I started with her when Jen ny was about six months old,” said Mary, "and now Jenny is 44 years old.” Over the years that relation ship. too. became a close friendship and it was Forbes who recommend ed Mary to the Berrettas. Now 69 years old. Mary says “ Working hard won't hurt you. You can make life whatever you want it to be. There are those who say ‘take it easy,- but those that tell you that don’t have anything.” Still working. Mary has taken care of a woman with alzheimer’s disease for the past two years. Mary and her husband of 51 years, Curtis, 72, raised four children-two daughters, Evelyn and Betty Lou, and two nephews-three of whom the Mobleys put through college. Mary said they would have put all four through, but one of the nephews decided that he didn’t want to go, a decision she says he now regrets. Mary is still involved with kids, two granddaughters, 10 year old Starla and 11 year old Erika, both of whom spend a lot of time at Grandma’s place, and two grand sons, Curtis, 22 who is in college and Byron, 17. The trip to Heppner marks the first trip on a plane for Mary and the first trip this far west. “ Charlottesville, Virginia is the farthest west I’ve been. I love it here Home is so flat and here it’s so hilly. Dr. and Mrs. Berretta took me for a ride in the desert and you can go for miles and miles and don’t see a house. I love the scenery and the ranches and things." Besides a trip into the desert Mary and the Berrettas visited Con don, Dr. Jeanne’s home town and spent some time at the Murray ranch. She stayed with Ann and John Murray home in Heppner using their home as a hideout Friday night and Saturday before the appreciation dinner. As much as Mary has enjoyed her visit to Heppner, she can’t be talked into staying. “ We’ve got land and we wouldn’t give it up for anything. That’s where our roots are.” Mary, who was scheduled to make her return trip back on Wednesday, has already planned what she is going to do when she returns. Relax? No. “ I think I’ll put up some preserves,” she said. lo n e’s 4th o f July festivities to honor American veterans By Anne Morter The annual lone Fourth of July celebration is on top once again and plans call for a full day of activities. Events range from a basketball tour nament to a historical tour to the ever-popular frog jumping contest. (For those in need, frogs are available). Grand marshals of the parade will be all veterans, with a special ceremony to honor them immediate- ly following in the city park. The theme of this year’s celebration is “ Proud to be an American” . A mouth-watering supply of 4th of July eats will be available throughout the day and plenty of activities are scheduled for the young ones, so be sure to bring the whole family for this day long celebration. The day will end with a display of fireworks and a dance on Main Street. Proud to Be an American Wednesday, July 3 6:00 p.m. 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney, lone School Gym. Double elimination. Money prize for first three places. Call Gregg Rietmann, 422-7243. Tennis Tourney. Call Betty Gray, 989-8161 or 989-8144. 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Tennis Tourney continues Ultra-Lite Fly By. Rick Peterson PARADE. Call Del LaRue, 422-7468. City Park activities begin. Food booths and root beer floats. Horseshoe Tourney Sign-up in the park. Chalk drawing contest in front of Catholic church. Volleyball Tourney. Call Sandra Halvorsen, 422-7547. Frog jumping contest. City Park. Frogs available. Children's games in the park (sack races, baseball throw, straw money pile.) Historical Tour. Meet at the bus by Post Office For info call Ruth McCabe, 422-7194 Bingo at Legion Hall by Lions Club, 2-5 p.m. Western Swing demonstration, City Park. Cow Chip Toss, school football field. H istorical Tour (repeat of 2:00 p.m .) Swimming pool opens. Free swimming 4-6 p.m. Watermelon eating and seed spitting contest. Bed Race, school football field. Call Marvin Padberg, 422-7276. Chicken Barbecue, school cafeteria, 6-8 p.m. Games on football field. Bring your mitt! Bingo at Legion Hall. Lions Club. 7-9 p.m. Oregon Trail Tour. Meet at Office Cafe. Fireworks School football field. Street dance on Main Street follow ing firew orks. Thursday , July 4 12:00 noon 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p m 7:00 p.m. Dusk Computerized Bookkeeping Saving the fanner and rancher time and money BEO’s Agridata See your branch loan officer for details Oreqon • lone Inn« Arlington • Heppner • ' ' «/ Your Independent Home Onmed FD.I.C.
